Captive
by lady-of-Shadows 13
Summary: When Danny wakes up in the hospital, everyone tells him that he got hit by a car. But he knows better, and he's telling Sam and Tucker what REALLY happened. Rating for violence and language. Chapter 7 up! PLZ R&R! PLZ!
1. Prologue

Prologue  
  
Where was he? Definitely not at home. The sheets weren't the same as the ones on his bed, and the mattress was hard and lumpy. Wherever he was, it smelled strongly of disinfectant. The beeping noise irritated him to no end, drilling into his brain like so many sharp nails. Slowly, he forced his eyes to open.  
  
A moment later he realized that he was in a hospital, surrounded on all sides by brilliantly white walls. His sheets were white, as were the blinds that covered the window and the curtains on either side of those. On the table next to him was a vase of pale yellow roses, wilted slightly for lack of sunlight. The wall behind his bed was home to a card rack, upon which was a single, home made Get Well Soon card. A doctor stood by the door, talking to someone he didn't recognize.  
  
Danny rubbed his eyes and tried to sit up, hissing as a wave of pain lanced through his ribs. The doctor, realizing he was awake, rushed over and pushed him back against the pillow. "Now Mr. Fenton, stay where you are. You're in no shape to be moving about." Danny nodded and closed his eyes again, and the doctor moved off once more. He intended on going back to sleep, but a moment later the doctor returned, and trailing behind him came Danny's parents, his sister Jazz, and Tucker and Sam, his two best friends. They all eagerly pulled up chairs and situated themselves around his bed, looking down at him with concerned expressions on their faces.   
  
"Danny, it's really good to see you awake," Jazz whispered, smiling softly. "For a while they didn't think you were going to make it."  
  
"Wh . . . what happened?" Danny asked, confused, "why am I here?" Tucker opened his mouth, but quickly closed it again when Sam elbowed him and whispered 'later!'  
  
"Well," Maddie started, "you were hit by a car. Someone found you on the side of the road and called an ambulance, and they brought you here. The doctors told us you were lucky to be alive."  
  
Danny realized his mouth was hanging open and shut it. Hit by a car? But he hadn't been anywhere near the road . . . he didn't think. He tried to sit up again, but was shoved back down by the doctor. This was really beginning to piss him off; his neck ached from the rough angle the pillow and the mattress created, and his spine was beginning to hurt as well. He needed to sit upright for a while, and this doctor wouldn't let him. Who the hell did he think he was, anyway?  
  
"I suppose you want to visit with Tucker and Sam alone for a little while; we're going to get something to eat." Maddie kissed her son on the forehead and motioned for Jack and Jazz to follow her. The doctor left too, talking quietly to Jazz. The door slammed behind them, leaving Tucker, Sam, and Danny alone in the room.  
  
The silence wasn't broken for a long time except for the irritating beep of the numerous machines attached to Danny's wrists and chest. Finally he couldn't take it any more. " I didn't get hit by a car, did I?"  
  
"Well, the story does kinda make sense. Most of your injuries could be tied into that scenario . . . " Tucker's voice faded slowly. He was looking uneasily around the room.  
  
"No, Danny, you didn't get run over." Sam elbowed Tucker again to bring him to attention. " Although it did make sense at first. The impact would cause the broken bones and the license plate would be sharp enough to cut you. We half- believed the doctors at first. But there were a lot of injuries that couldn't be explained, that really didn't tie into the whole car thing."  
  
Danny had been fiddling with the buttons on the side of his bed and finally found the one he was looking for. As Sam talked, the top half of the bed folded forward, bringing Danny into a sitting position and easing the pain in his ribs and neck. He angrily tossed the pillow onto the floor and motioned for Sam to continue.   
  
" Well," she began, " we figured out a lot of what went on ourselves, but it's got a couple of gaping holes. We need you to fill them in."  
  
"Me? I don't have a clue what went on! You are supposed to be telling me!"  
  
"Hmm. The pain meds must be fuzzing your memory," Tucker said, inspecting the series of needles and meters running to and from Danny's body. "You mean you don't remember anything about what happened to you?"  
  
"Well, all I remember is that I was in ghost mode the whole time whatever it was was happening."  
  
"Yeah, we figured that out. But other than that, nothing?" Sam was leaning forward in her chair now, her eyes wide.  
  
"No. . . except. . . ." Danny's throat tightened as the memories came flooding back to him. The darkness, the pain, the cruel laughter that echoed in the hollow spaces of is mind until he thought it would drive him insane. He turned his face away from his friends in attempt to hide the fear creeping into his eyes.  
  
"It's alright Danny, you don't have to talk about it." Sam laid one soft hand on Danny's arm and squeezed. He looked into her eyes and warmth and courage washed through him. "No, I'll tell you," he whispered, "but it's just between the three of us, alright?" He grinned up at his friends for a moment, then took a deep breath. . .   
  
The door slammed, causing everyone to jump. The doctor looked at them suspiciously over the rims of his glasses before making his way through the sea of empty chairs to the machines.  
  
"How are you feeling today, Daniel?" he inquired as he scribbled notes on his clipboard.  
  
"Fine," Danny lied.  
  
"If I could have your arm please." The doctor put yet another squealing box on the heavily laden cart, plugging it in to the power cord in the side. Then he carefully took a needle from his pocket, and, after sterilizing the tip, drove it into Danny's arm. He hooked a tube to the back and left again, giving Tucker and Sam another suspicious glare before he closed the door.  
  
Danny rubbed his arm and grimaced. " I feel like a pin cushion," he complained. Sam smiled and Tucker laughed a little, and the mood in the room grew momentarily brighter before sinking back into silence.   
  
Danny held his breath for a moment to make sure no one else was going to interrupt him, then opened his mouth and began his story. 


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Danny ( BUT I WANT TO), Tucker, Sam, Jazz, Maddie, or Jack. The other characters are my own. Feel free to use their names. It makes no difference to me. Sorry the chapter's so short... I have writer's block really bad. :(  
  
Note: Rating may change due to the path the story is taking. Character torture in the future.  
  
The dog had followed him all the way home from Sam's house, hiding in the bushes along the edge of the sidewalk, yellow eyes reflecting the orange glow of the street lamps. By what Danny had seen of him he was black, built like a husky but with the intelligent face of a German Shepherd. Something about the dog was slightly familiar, but Danny couldn't place what it was.   
  
Finally, the dog stepped onto the sidewalk, cautiously approaching Danny, who was sitting on the curb. The boy observed its appearance more closely. It was black, with one white paw and an oblong white diamond stamped on its chest. The hair was of medium length, sleek and healthy. The dog was panting, and 3 inch, brilliantly white canines glinted dangerously. As he watched, it stood up and began chasing its tail.  
  
Danny laughed and put out a hand, which the dog took playfully in its jaws and shook gently. When Danny got up to leave, the dog stayed obediently at his heels and trailed him all the way home.  
  
Maddie was sitting in the porch swing when Danny walked up. She gasped at the mere bulk of the dog trotting behind him, standing quickly. "Danny, what on earth...?"  
  
"He followed me home," Danny replied by way of an explanation. He sat down on the porch steps and pet the dog, laughing when it rolled over and flailed its paws in the air, tongue lolling from the side of its mouth. "He doesn't have a collar or anything; maybe he's a stray."  
  
"I don't think so, hon," Maddie replied, "he's very well groomed. Maybe we should call Animal Control and see if anyone's missing a dog."  
  
"Alright, but it's way too late now. Can he stay with us, just for tonight?" Danny's pleading eyes reminded Maddie of the first time he had brought home a pet. When he was five he'd found a kitten in the snow and begged her to let him keep it. When the owners showed up the next day, the little boy had clutched the kitten tightly to him and swore he wasn't giving it up. He had in the end, however, out of sympathy for the little girl, Samantha, and the two of them had become best friends within the week.  
  
"Just for tonight," Maddie said. Danny went inside the house, followed by the huge black dog. She sighed as she watched the door close behind them. They grew up so fast...   
  
The dog, newly dubbed Zero, curled up at the bottom of Danny's bed, tucking his tail neatly beneath his chin and sighing. The yellow eyes followed Danny as he climbed wearily into his pajamas and got into bed. He was asleep within ten minutes, snoring softly.  
  
Zero stood carefully to avoid waking Danny up, and jumped down off the bed, nosing the door open and cringing as it creaked. Danny stirred a little, but did not wake. The dog took a slow, even breath and squeezed its eyes shut. The skin along its body rippled as the hair grew short and the diamond and paw disappeared. His snout grew wider and flatter, the ears lost their tips and became round. Within minutes, where Zero had once stood, a large tiger crouched on the rug. It was enormous, nearly twice the size of a normal tiger, and black as night. Sabre- like fangs protruded from beneath its upper lip, sharp and white. Its body emitted a greenish glow; it was a ghost.   
  
"Zero" crept toward Danny's bed, huge paws moving soundlessly across the carpet. Careful not to wake him, he grasped the neck of the boy's pajamas in his teeth and phased them both through the wall, flying into the night with Danny still dangling from his mouth. 


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom, (BUT I WANT TO!!!) Jack, Maddie, Jazz, Tucker, or Sam. All the other characters are mine. Feel free to use their names, but their personalities are copyrighted!!! The rating of this story has changed to rated R for Language and character torture. Oh, minor note: I'm not going to eat you if you review my story. PLZ!!!!!  
  
review responses:  
  
lightning streak: I'm glad u like it. Hope I didn't make you wait too long!  
  
Cheerleader4life: Thanks for reviewing.   
  
Tora-Kitsune, Danny and Y.Link: Thanks. I'm glad you like my writing. Here's some more.   
  
K.... here's Chapter 2   
  
It was pitch black. His knees were killing him, and the biting chill sent shivers up his spine. He realized that he was in ghost mode; the faint glow about him gave him a dim view of his surroundings. He was chained on his knees between two tall stone pillars, the rusty manacles digging slightly into his wrists.   
  
All of a sudden the room was blazing with light; torches along the wall burst into life. A high- pitched laugh echoed through the room as a transparent, dimly glowing figure stepped from the shadows. "Danny Phantom," the ghost chuckled, " I'm glad you could join us."   
  
Zero bounded toward Danny, transforming into the great black tiger and slashing the boy's right cheek as he leapt over him. "I see you've already met Sarina. It's because of her you were able to attend. I suspect that you have no idea who I am. No, I suppose you don't. I am Rith, and I believe it was you, halfa, that sent my brother where I could not follow."  
  
Danny looked into the red eyes of his captor and grimaced. He remembered that incident all too well.  
  
"Yes, you did... I can read it in your face. Well, now it is time to pay for it." Rith brought his hand from behind his back, revealing an ancient- looking, multi- pronged whip curled in his hand. Sarina hissed and retreated into the shadows; she had often felt the bite of that whip.   
  
"This tickler's got quite a bite," Rith whispered, allowing the end of the whip to brush the ground, "let's see how long it takes to make you scream."  
  
Danny paused, coughing hard. Blood flecked his bed sheets, staining them with crimson dots. Sam leaped up and ran into the hall, calling for Doctor Moorhead, who came bustling down the hall, looking concerned. He sent Sam and Tucker into the hallway and closed the door firmly behind him. Dimly, the two friends could hear him talking to Danny as he worked.  
  
Almost an hour later, Dr. Moorhead came out, flicking the light off before shutting the door. "He's sleeping now. You two should go home; he's not going to wake up again tonight." With that the doctor left them, standing side by side in the long hallway.  
  
Sorry it's so short... I'll write more really soon. Just a reminder: you will not be struck by lightning if you review my story! Chap. 3 up really soon! 


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom (BUT I WANT TO), Jack, Maddie, Jazz, Tucker, or Sam.   
  
Spoilers: You WISH!  
  
Note: There's some pretty twisted stuff coming up later on in the story. If you don't like blood and violence, don't read!!!! Also, I want to thank everyone who's reviewed my story so far, and remind you that the more reviews I get, the more inspired I'll be and the more I'll write. I do accept criticism; it Is my opinion that it is what makes a story good. If anything needs fixing, let me know. Thanx!  
  
Chapter 3  
  
The sun had barely risen when Tucker and Sam arrived at the hospital the next morning. Danny was already awake, sitting back against the bed with pillows propped under him. His breakfast tray lay untouched on the rolling table beside him, to which Tucker immediately helped himself. Sam rolled her eyes and pulled a chair to Danny's bedside, crossing her legs and folding her hands neatly in her lap. Danny laughed and hit her with a pillow, grinning, but the grin soon turned into a grimace. "God, my ribs are killing me," he complained.  
  
"Well, considering that most of them are broken, that's to be expected." Dr. Moorhead had just walked into the room. "Your family is coming to visit today, Mr. Fenton."  
  
"Oh great, another lecture- fest from Jazz. 'Now you've learned you lesson about walking in the street at night!' What a nightmare." Danny's voice had suddenly become falsely cheery, but if the doctor noticed, he didn't let on. "They'll be here around 11," he said as he left, taking the empty breakfast tray with him.  
  
"Danny?" Sam put her hand on his arm, "If you don't want to talk about... you know... you don't have to. We could just hang out for today." Danny swallowed and nodded gratefully.  
  
The trio played cards until 11, then while Danny visited with his family, Sam and Tucker went to grab lunch.  
  
"Jeez. I didn't know it would be so hard for him to talk about," Tucker voiced as they slid into a booth at McDonald's. "He really looked relieved when you said he didn't have to."  
  
"Yeah. I just figured it wouldn't be a good topic to bring up after last night." Sam watched, a little disgusted, as Tucker dug into his double- cheeseburger, splattering ketchup all over the table. "I think, though, that we should hear more after lunch. Danny really needs this off of his chest so he can get better. I'm sure he doesn't want to miss the first day of sophomore year."   
  
Tucker shoved the rest of his burger into his mouth and wadded up the wrapper, tossing it into the trash can across the room effortlessly. "Come on," he said, "let's go back."  
  
Sam and Tucker got back to the hospital around 2 in the afternoon. Danny was dozing lightly, propped up against the pillows. When the door clicked shut, his eyes flew open and he looked wildly around for a moment before settling back in. "You guys scared me!" he said, a false smile plastered on his face. Sam noticed that there were tears in his eyes. "I guess you wanna hear more?"  
  
"Only if you're up to it," Tucker replied, throwing himself into the chair and going rigid as it flew backward into the wall. Sam and Danny laughed, earning a glare from their friend.  
  
"I guess I'm okay with it, but this is going to be the hardest part for me."  
  
"That's okay," Sam whispered, putting her hand on his arm to comfort him. Danny took a deep breath and continued his tale.  
  
Morgan had been Rith's maid for 4 years, ever since she was nine years old. Her parents said they had decided that she was old enough to find a job around the neighborhood to start saving for college, but she knew it was just an excuse to get her out of their hair. She didn't mind though; she hated them too. The truth was, she had a big secret, and her inability to tell them was eating her up inside. She had no friends; she was home- schooled, so that option was closed to her as well.  
  
It had happened one stormy night. She was talking to her grandmother when lightning struck the telephone pole. When she awoke in the hospital three days later, well..... A month later her parents died in an avalanche on their vacation, and she had lived with Rith ever since. She was perfectly aware of what he was, and she knew that in the common household one dusted instead of wiping up ectoplasm all the time, but it suited her just fine.  
  
Morgan was used to the rules of the house; be quiet, clean it right the first time, and when you move something put it back where you got it, but Rith had recently added a new one to the list. She was no longer allowed in the east wing of the house. It was her favorite place, dark and silent, completely hidden under the earth. Sarina the tiger called the dark wing her home, and often curled up with the girl when she went there to read.   
  
So when this new rule was posted on the 'list', curiosity soon got the best of her, and she decided to do some snooping.   
  
The chamber was lit with the dim, flickering fire of the torches, throwing everything into sharp contrast. Sarina came to greet Morgan as she entered, but gave a warning hiss, as if telling her to keep quiet. The tiger began walking into the gloom. When Morgan didn't follow, she turned back and opened her mouth to yowl.  
  
"No, no, don't, I'm coming." The girl followed the cat deep into the darkness, toward the middle of the room. All of a sudden a shape loomed out of the darkness above her, and Morgan had to suppress a scream 


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom(YET! Evil grin), Jazz, Jack, Maddie, Tucker, or Sam.   
  
Review Responses:  
  
Tora- kitsune, Danny, and Y. Link: I'm updating as fast as I can. Thanks for reading and I'm glad you like it.  
  
Ness Incubus: I'm glad you like my writing. Thanks for reviewing.  
  
A huge thank you to my reviewers. And with no further ado, here is chapter 4.  
  
Morgan clapped her hand to her mouth as the figure stirred. It was a boy, and the faint glow around him gave evidence that he was a ghost. She had never seen anyone in such bad shape as he was. His clothing was in tatters, revealing bruises overlaid by angry red welts. The manacles holding him upright were digging into his wrists, and she could dimly hear the methodical drip drip of blood on the floor. ' Hold on,' she thought, confused, 'ghosts don't bleed.' Behind her, Sarina hissed and crouched down in the shadows. Someone was coming.  
  
Morgan began to panic, looking around the floor at the varying torture weapons lying at the boy's feet. She found a small spike; the tip was narrow, the perfect lock picker. Her ears picked up footsteps on the stairs to the wing and she began to work faster, taking deep breaths to steady her shaking hands. Soon she heard the click of the lock and caught the boy as he fell forward. As soon as he was free of the manacles, two rings of pure energy formed around the unconscious form of the boy, and within moments he was human. Morgan gasped. She hadn't known.... she thought she was the only one...  
  
Sarina shoved Morgan with her head, hitting her in the small of her back. Looking briefly behind her, the girl noticed the door knob beginning to turn. She gripped the ghost- boy's bloody wrist and shut her eyes tight, then flew upward, phasing her and Danny through the sagging ceiling.  
  
Rith stepped into the chamber and sniffed the air. It was as he suspected. The girl had been here. He glanced at the place where the ghost- boy had been chained; he wasn't there. "Idiot girl. You think you are a hero, but you have simply sealed your fate as well as the boy's." The man took a defensive stance as two rings of energy formed around him. Once in ghost mode, he flew through the ceiling and into the coolness of the night.  
  
Tucker and Sam were speechless when Danny stopped talking. "Oh my god, Danny," Sam whispered finally.  
  
"Apparently, I'm not the only halfa. There have been others all along. It's not that uncommon, actually." Danny was looking at Tucker, who realized that his mouth was hanging open and shut it, his teeth clicking together.   
  
"Danny, what happened next?" Sam was leaning forward in her chair. Danny looked at her for a moment, and she realized that he had slipped his hand into hers. He squeezed her fingers and continued.  
  
Morgan hit the ground in the middle of the small grove of trees, the impact driving her to her knees. She transformed into her human state and went to retrieve her charge, who had fallen a few feet away. She dragged him under the the tree and cradled his head in her lap, smoothing the stray hairs away from his face. He was really quite good- looking, she thought, even with blood matted on the side of his face.   
  
The boy stirred and opened his eyes, and Morgan was shocked at the depth of the pain in them. "Where..." he stammered. She shushed him, placing her fingers on his lips and smiling down at him. "Don't worry," she said, "you're safe now. I'm really sorry, but I'm going to have to leave you. They can't know the true nature of your injuries." She smiled again, but it did not reach her eyes. "What's your name?" she asked the boy.  
  
"Danny," he whispered, then his eyes rolled back in his head as consciousness fled.   
  
Morgan went to ghost mode and picked Danny up off the ground, carrying him to the side of the road. Clear of the street lights, she laid Danny on the curb, allowing him to become visible again. "Goodbye, Danny," she whispered, kissing him on the forehead. Right before she flew away, she could swear that she saw him smile.  
  
Danny stopped talking when the doctor came into the room. "How are you feeling today, Daniel?"  
  
"Fine," Danny lied. In truth he wasn't fine at all, but he wasn't going to tell HIM that. He already had enough needles poked into him, thank you very much.  
  
"Well, visiting hours are over, and your friends need to leave." Moorhead ushered Tucker and Sam toward the door, slamming it behind them. He then proceeded to record things on his clipboard, all the while muttering to himself about lousy kids. Danny smiled and leaned back against his pillows, closing his eyes. It had been a long day.........  
  
Sorry.... I keep promising that it's going to be longer next time and it never is... thanks again to all my reviewers, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Will update as soon as I can!!! 


	6. Chapter 5

Arrrrrgh.... this is going to be another short chapter. Sorry, and you may have noticed that I no longer promise to write a longer one.... thank you so much to all my reviewers. A few more chapters left... here's chapter 5 from Danny's P.O.V.  
  
I didn't know what had awoken me until I felt the cold seeping through the room. It was freezing; I could see my breath in front of my face.   
  
Wrapping my arm around my rib cage to try and dull the pain, I slid out of bed to grab the blanket folded on the chair by the window. The floor was like ice beneath my feet. I shivered and wrapped the heavy hospital blanket around my shoulders, drawing back the curtains and slumping into the chair. I watched as the lights below flickered out one by one, plunging the city into darkness, and suddenly I felt homesick. I wished that Sam and Tucker were there with me, assuring me that everything would be okay. Even my parents would be a comfort in the complete darkness of the hospital room.   
  
A sudden glow outside my window startled me out of my thoughts. I looked up; only to find the evil grin and glowing crimson eyes of Rith looking through the glass at me. As I watched, horrified, he phased through the window, stopping only inches from where I sat, trembling in the chair. The bile rose in my throat and I swallowed, eliciting another grin from Rith. "Hello, halfling. I've been looking for you"   
  
"What do you want with me?" I managed to choke out. Although I hate to admit it, this one ghost truly frightened me.  
  
"Ah, I believe I've already told you that. You were the halfa that sent my brother away. You took my only family away from me. And now you are going to pay for it." I tried to back away as he came toward me, his clawed hands stretched toward my throat. The chair I was sitting in tipped backward and spilled me onto the cold linoleum, knocking the air out of my lungs.   
  
"You cannot run from me," Rith leered, as he switched to human form. I could tell he was amused by the way I was helplessly trying to scrabble away from him across the smooth tile, struggling for purchase on the creaseless floor. The man had crossed to where I was in two strides, laughing quietly.   
  
I cried out as Rith's heavy, booted foot pressed into my back between my shoulder blades, crushing the air from my lungs and sending a searing pain up and down my spine. He continued to press down, laughing as I groaned. By the time he finally lifted his foot I felt as if my ribs had been driven all the way through my lungs; I struggled to draw every breath. Rith laughed again and kicked me in the side, sending me skittering across the floor. My head collided with the bed frame, and a moment later I felt the blood oozing down the back of my head. My vision swam and the room began to fade as consciousness fled from me. I opened my mouth to call for help, but my cry was cut short as an iron grip wrapped around my throat and lifted me from the floor. As I struggled to breathe, Rith brought his face in close to mine and grinned, his scarlet eyes narrowing happily. "No, no help this time," he whispered, " it is time to accept your fate, ghost- boy. It is time to say good- bye." 


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom (YET!!!!), Jack, Maddie, Jazz, Tucker or Sam. All the other characters are of my own creation. Okay, please read the note at the bottom when you finish reading, and don't flame me!!  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Sam's Point of View  
  
I flopped onto the couch and picked up the remote, flipping through tv channels without really looking to see what was on. I really wanted to go visit Danny, but Tucker and I had decided yesterday to give our friend a day to rest.  
  
Yawning, I reached for the phone and dialed Tucker's number. Four rings and the answering machine picked up. 'That's odd,' I thought, 'what on earth could Tucker be doing on a rainy day like this?' I looked out the window at the dark ominous clouds. A feeling of unease crept over me suddenly; I felt like something had gone horribly wrong. Shaking off the feeling, I turned the tv off and headed downstairs to watch my favorite movie.   
  
3 chick flicks later I still couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. I could hardly hear the movies anyway for the thunder that was rolling through the house. This was definately gonna be a big thunderstorm. I went up to my room and closed the curtains, sitting on the edge of my bed and staring at the phone, pondering whether or not to call Tucker's house again. Then it hit me. Maybe he has his palm! I grabbed my laptop off my desk and dialed up his palm. Nothing. 'He must not have it on,' I assured myself, shutting down my laptop and setting it back on the desk before throwing myself onto my pillows. 'He must be out with his family, or something. Yeah, out with his family.....'  
  
The doorbell woke me up. It was dark outside, and rain spattered the windows, shaking the glass in the pane with the sheer force of it. The doorbell rang again, insistently. Muttering under my breath, I heaved myself off the bed and went to answer it.   
  
I had to suppress a cry of surprise as I swung open my front door. Tucker was standing on my porch, but it was a Tucker I had never seen before. He was soaking wet, the bill of his baseball cap drooping under the weight of the water it held. His clothes, usually tidy and dull, were wrinkled and unkempt, and his eyes were puffy and red.   
  
"Tucker, what have you been doing? You look awful!" I grabbed his wrist and dragged him inside, fighting the door closed behind him. He sat numbly on the couch and stared at the wall in front of him with a dazed, empty expression.  
  
"Tucker what happened? Have you been mugged or something?"  
  
"No..."  
  
"Well did you have an accident?"  
  
"No, Sam..."  
  
" Did you get lost?"  
  
"No, Sam listen..."  
  
"Did you get in a fight with your parents?"  
  
"No. Sam, please...."  
  
"Did you...."  
  
"No Sam!" Tucker grabbed my shoulders and shook me gently. The haunted look in his eyes stopped me short of asking another question. As soon as he knew I wasn't going to burst into a tide of questions again he sank onto the couch and buried his head in his arms, his shoulders shaking. I cautiously sat down next to him and put a trembling hand on his shoulder. "Tucker, if something's bothering you..." He cut me short, shaking his head. There were tears standing out in his eyes. Then he said the three words I had never expected to hear. "Sam, Danny's dead."   
  
Okay, don't flame me. I know this really sucks, but believe me.... it isn't over yet. I'll update as fast as I can, and please don't flame me. Thank you. 


	8. Chapter 7 It's not over yet!

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom, etc. etc. etc.  
  
Danni- 2005: Sorry, he's alive, but not the way you think he is..... don't worry, I take no offense. I killed him for a reason. I was originally gonna kill Sam, but too amny people do that for me to do it too. A special thank you to all my reviewers. I may not be updating for a while cuz I'm driving from my gramma's to my house; 2700 miles. I'll update as soon as I get home!!!:)  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Sam dried her eyes on Tucker's sleeve and looked up at the digital clock on the wall. 8:15; they'd been crying for almost 4 hours. Moving sluggishly, she stood up and straightened her shirt. It was so hard to believe that Danny was actually gone. The doctors said it was an accident, but several of them cried foul play, pointing out suspicious- looking bruises on Danny's throat.   
  
"Just like that," Tucker whispered, startling Sam out of her thoughts. " He went so fast. I mean, he was doing great yesterday. Dr. Moorhead said he would be ready to go home soon. And now he's gone."  
  
Sam felt the tears starting again and wiped them away furiously on the collar of her shirt. 'Crying won't help anything, Samantha,' she thought firmly. Flopping down on the couch, she turned on the television and began flipping through the channels, trying to avoid conversation. Tucker took the hint and shut his mouth, leaning back against the noisy leather sofa and closing his eyes.  
  
Suddenly the phone rang, making them both jump. Sam grabbed the receiver. "Hello?" she croaked hoarsely. "Yes. No, nothing. Tucker told me. What? Why? Alright. Bye."  
  
Tucker looked up when Sam put the phone down. Her eyes were beginning to brim with tears again. "They want us down at the hospital. They say it's important."   
  
Tuck nodded and turned the tv off, taking Sam's coat from the closet and the umbrella that had been standing in the corner. "Come on."  
  
"Tucker, I can't," she whispered, collapsing onto the sofa, "I can't go in there again."  
  
"Sam, we have to do this, for Danny." He sat beside her and took her hand, his eyes looking straight into hers. Slowly, she nodded and stood up, leaning lightly against him. Tucker smiled warmly at her and led her out the front door and into the stormy darkness.   
  
This was impossible. In all his years of medical school he had been taught that something like this never happened. No, there had to be a logical explanation. He wracked his brain, but found nothing. Closing the door behind him, he made his way to the waiting room. This was going to be hard to explain.  
  
(Dr. Moorhead's P.O.V.)   
  
The Goth. kid and the computer nerd were just arriving when I reached the waiting room, both almost thoroughly soaked. The nerd, Tucker, I think, was holding an umbrella in serious need of a repair. The spokes were at odd angles and the canvas had been completely torn from them. When I raised my eyebrow he shrugged and gestured to the screaming storm outside.  
  
"Hello. You two are Danny's friends. Please come with me." I led them to my office, trying to hide the shock that was coursing through me. On the way we passed Mr. Fenton's old room and I heard, Samantha?, stifle a small sob. I wanted to turn around and blurt out the whole story right there, but as I professional I knew that I would have to wait for the safety of my chair and a closed door.   
  
Once inside my office I sat down and breathed heavily, taking my glasses off and setting them on my desk. It had already been a long day, and now I had to tell two over- emotional teenagers about it.   
  
"Listen, I need to tell this story from the beginning, and you cannot interrupt me. Do you understand?" Nods. "Good, then I'll begin.  
  
When Danny first came in here he was in a shock so advanced we were sure he was going to die. He actually DID die for a moment or two, but we brought him back successfully. We found him this morning, dead as a doornail. Excuse the expression. No heartbeat, no pulse, as cold as ice."  
  
Samantha was beginning to cry again, and Tucker had suddenly become very interested in a piece of lint clinging to his sweater. I rolled my eyes slightly and continued.   
  
"So, imagine my surprise when I went into his room an hour ago and found him sitting up in bed, breathing normally."  
  
Their reaction was just as I had expected. They looked shocked for a moment, then Samantha screamed and fell out of her chair. Tucker slammed a hand on my desk. "Where is he?" he asked.   
  
"Take it easy, he's asleep at the moment. If you don't wake him I'll let you go see him." When they nodded again, I led them out of the office and down the hallway to intensive care.   
  
Tucker gasped when he saw Danny. The boy had begun a rapid healing stage; most of his cuts and scrapes were no more than barely visible scars. Sam sank to her knees in tears beside his bed.   
  
Danny stirred and opened his eyes. There was something horribly wrong with his friend, something that went deeper than his injuries. Tucker couldn't place it at the moment, but the hair on the back of his neck prickled when Danny looked at him and smiled. Sam however seemed not to notice. She held his hand and sobbed while he whispered to her that it was okay. "I'm all right," he said softly, "please stop crying, Sam."  
  
Tucker shivered and promised himself that as long as he was in this room he wouldn't let his guard down against this monster that was so like, but so unlike, his best friend.   
  
Okay, this one was a little longer. I'm no good at writing long, so I'll conclude Chapter seven with my favorite Lord of the Rings quote.   
  
"Many that live deserve death, and many that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then don't be so quick to deal out death and judgement. All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you."  
  
- - - - Gandalf: The Fellowship of the Ring 


End file.
